Trump-Backed Bill Forces Some Planned Parenthood Affiliates to Reject Medicaid

Multiple Planned Parenthood affiliates throughout the United States have started to turn away Medicaid patients after the implementation of a contentious clause in President Donald Trump’s recent tax-and-spending legislation that seeks to cut funding for the reproductive healthcare organization. 

The comprehensive legislation, enacted on July 4, 2025, features a provision that prohibits Planned Parenthood from obtaining Medicaid reimbursements for a minimum of one year—a decision that opponents argue will severely hinder access to vital care for millions of low-income individuals.

As of Wednesday, organizations like Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, DC, and Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains have revised their websites to inform patients that they can no longer accept Medicaid. “This defund’ provision is a cruel, harmful, and inhumane law,” stated the Washington, DC, affiliate, which also presented alternative funding options for patients. 

A federal judge has stepped in to temporarily halt the defunding provision following a lawsuit from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America, which contends that the policy infringes upon constitutional rights. 

Consequently, certain affiliates have started to schedule Medicaid patients again. “The circumstances are evolving quickly,” stated Michelle Quesada, representative for Planned Parenthood of Florida. She announced that clinics in the state have resumed accepting Medicaid after previously canceling appointments over the weekend.

Although federal regulations already restrict Medicaid from covering the majority of abortions, Planned Parenthood utilizes the program to support essential services such as contraception, STI testing, cancer screenings, and overall reproductive health care. 

The prohibition poses a significant risk of shutting down close to 200 health facilities, with a particularly adverse impact on patients in states that lean Democratic, where Medicaid enrollment is notably elevated.

“If the defunding of Planned Parenthood is permitted to continue, there are no other providers capable of adequately addressing the needs of millions of patients,” stated Danika Severino Wynn, vice president of care and access at Planned Parenthood’s national federation.

In addition to the legal uncertainty, advocates warn that the recent legislation is causing turmoil at the local level, impeding care for Medicaid recipients and straining clinics to their capacity. 

“This feels like a matter of enormous importance—not just for Planned Parenthood, but for the communities that rely on it,” stated Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson.

Neither organization provided any comments in response to media inquiries.